Executive Briefings

Organic Seafood Labels Often Greener Than Eco-Labels

By: Environmental Leader 12.12.2011

Organic eco-labels for seafood are often better indicators of a product's green credentials than industry eco-labels or those assigned by retailers such as Whole Foods or Marks & Spencer, according to research by Canada's University of Victoria.

Four out of the five seafood eco-labels that ranked best in terms of absolute green performance in How Green is Your Eco-Label? were those that certified organic production rather than standard industry labels certifying environmentally friendly production.

As organic production generally results in less use and discharge of chemicals and usually has stronger restrictions on waste management than non-organic fish farming, such seafood benefits from a green knock-on effect that may not have been the principal aim, the report says.

The U.S. National Organic Standard is the greenest seafood eco-label of all, according to the report. The greenest non-organic specific industry label is Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue, according to the report. It came in third overall.

Organic eco-labels for seafood are often better indicators of a product's green credentials than industry eco-labels or those assigned by retailers such as Whole Foods or Marks & Spencer, according to research by Canada's University of Victoria.

Four out of the five seafood eco-labels that ranked best in terms of absolute green performance in How Green is Your Eco-Label? were those that certified organic production rather than standard industry labels certifying environmentally friendly production.

As organic production generally results in less use and discharge of chemicals and usually has stronger restrictions on waste management than non-organic fish farming, such seafood benefits from a green knock-on effect that may not have been the principal aim, the report says.

The U.S. National Organic Standard is the greenest seafood eco-label of all, according to the report. The greenest non-organic specific industry label is Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue, according to the report. It came in third overall.